Governor



Nov. 24,1925. 1,563,075 T. E. CLARK ET AL GOVERNOR Filed June 1924 2Sheets-Sheet l J5me; E C/ark Thomas E. C/ark 4 INVENTOR A TTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 24, 1925.

t y g I tantra orrics.

THOMAS E. CLARK AND JAMES E. GLARK, F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS TOCONTINUOUS TRAIN CONTROL CQRPOBATIQN, 0F DIETRGIT, MICHIGAN, A. COR-ronarron or MICHIGAN.

Application filed June 9,

To all whom it may; concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS E. CLARK and JAB rigs E. CLARK, citizens ofthe United States, and residents of Detroit, llfayne County, Michigan,have invented a new and Improved Governor, of which the following is aspecification:

This invention relates to means adapted to be attached directly to thewheels of railway vehicles, especially to the wheels of the pilot trucksof locomotives, to control electric circuits, especiallythose whichconduct the currents for energizing the electromagnets of the air-valvesof train-control systems, and the object of our invention is to providea governor which shall be'directly attached to a rotating member of thevehicle, which will be operative irrespective of the direction ofrotation, which shall be simple and powerful in construction, and

which shall not easily get out of order.

Speed governors for train-control systems heretofore suggested haveusually been driven by means of belts or other flexible powertransmitters and by positive gearing. But the flexiblepower-transmitters are liable to stretch and wear while the gearing isalso liable to wear and break. Our in vention consists of a governoradapted to be directly attached to the sides of the wheels or otherrotating member of locomotives and other railway yehicles and embodies abase-plate, weights slidably mounted on the base-plate andmovableagainst the forceof springs by centrifugal force to control switches asthese weightsmove outward and inward. i

It also consists of relatively stationary conductor rings coaxial withthe wheel on which said base-plate is mounted, contacts connected withsaid switches and engaging the rings, and means to hold the rings fromrotating with the wheel.

It further consists in the details of construction illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and the claims.

In the drawings,Fig. 1 is an elevation and Fig. 2 is a plan ofthisimproved speed governor'in operative position. Fig. 8 is a section onthe line 3-3 of Fig. 2 on a larger scale. Fig. 4 is a section of thebase and particularly pointed out in case co-axial with the wheel onwhich this govel'lwlismounted. Fig. 5 is a similar GOVERNOR.

1924. Serial No. 719,002.

section of the entire governor. Fig. 6 is a section of a switch. 7'

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the severalviews.

In the present construction a base-plate 1 is attached toa pilot wheel 2of a loco motive by means of studs 3 and nuts 4. A hollow hub or sleeve5 extends from this base-plate co-axially with the wheel axle 6anditcarries the contacts 7, 8 and 9 which may be built like an ordinarybrush holder with electrodes 10 to which the wires to the switches A andB are attached. These switches are operated by weights 12 which areslidable on the pins 13, shown in Fig. 3. While there may be any desirednumber of these weights, they should be evenly spaced around the hubsleeve 5 in order to balance the structure. We prefer to make theseweights in the form of spool with weight flanges 14 at their outer endsand contact flanges 15 at their inner ends. The springs 16 press againstthe internal flanges 17 and against the cylindrical. nuts 18 whichadjust the tension of these springs and also constitute guides for theouter ends ofthe Weights. Lugs 19 011 the baseplate 1 limit the outwardmovements of these weights under centrifugal force and thus preventundue stresses on the switches.

The switches employed may be of any suitable well known construction. InFig. 6 we have shown a shell or case 21 and a diaphragm -22 thereon ofinsulating material which carries the posts 23 and 24: which connect tothe contacts 25. A second diaphragm 26 and the end of the shell supportthe slidable stem 27 to which is connected the double-cone 2 8." spring29 normally holds thestem 27 outward. Slida'blewithin the case andpreferably between the guides 30 is a small bridge 31 adapted to engagethe contacts 25, as shown in Fig. 6, and within this bridge is anannular coil spring 32 which tightly engages the cone 28 and becauseof'the taper of the inner end of the cone, normally presses the bridgeagainst the contacts 25, by reason of the tendency of the spring toslide down the tapering inner end of the cone. is pressed in'until thespring has slipped over the hump of the stem, then the spring will slideoutward on the outer taper of But when the stem this double cone andpull the bridge 31 away 7 from the contacts 25, to the position shown indotted lines. The bridge will remain in this outer position until thestem has been permitted to slide outwardly a sufficient distance to pullthe hump on the stem out through the spring. The stem can therefore movein and out considerable distances without affecting the positions of thebridge and the movements of the bridge will al ways be rapid. Thisavoids repeated and unnecessary opening and closing of the switch whilethe weight is at its intern'iediate positions and reduces arcing. Thisswitch is well known and has been fully tested in the arts.

The sleeve 5 which carries the contacts 7, 8 and 9 rotates with thewheel. Bushings 36 and 37 within this sleeve support a spindle 38 onwhich is mounted a sleeve 39 of insulating material which carries threeconductor rings a l, 42 and 43 to which the wires 44, a5 and 46 connect,these wires extending through a hollow arm 47 and through a chamber 48in the spindle. The sleeve 39 may be held in place by a collar 49. Thespindle may be formed with collars 51 and 52, one on each side ot thebearing bushing 37 which is made of two pieces and held in the sleeve 5by screws 53.

Instead of the wires 4st, a5 and 4-6 being continuous to thetrain-control instrumentalities, it may be desirable to divide themwithin the arm a as shown in Fig. A short sleeve 5 L has a cap 55 whichforces a split wedge 56 into the tapering hole in the bushing 57 tosecurely grip the cable 58. The ends of the wires are connected byordinary slip couplings 59. The sleeve 54 is secured to the arm 47 bythe U-bolt 60 and nuts 61, the bolt extending below the arm 47 andthrough holes in the lugs 62 on the sleeve 54.

Figs. 1 and 2 show how one of these lugs 62 also carries a pin 63 whichreceives one end oi the link 64; whose other end carries a pin 6?)connecting it to an arm 66 pivoted onthe pin 67 carried by a bracket 68secured to the frame member 69 of the vehicle. e prefer to mount aspring 70 between the nuts 71 on this pin 67 and the bracket 68 so as topermit the outer end of the arm 66 to move up and down a limiteddistance. The arm and link permit the pilot axle to swing in ahorizontal plane relative to the frame as the vehicle passes over curvesin the track.

This mechanism thus far described is a speed governor adapted to openand close switches, particularly to regulate the speed of, railwaytrains in connection with traincontrol systems, and is especiallyadapted for systems employing radio-frequency currents as set forth incopending. application Serial Number ($76,014:, liled November 2-1,1923, which may also embody a three position relay of the type shown inco-pending application Serial Number 335,911, filed November 5, 1919.

Referring again to Figs. 4 and 5, a shell 132 will be observed securedto the baseplate 1 and engaging a packing disk 133 between the flange134 on the bearing 37 and the flange on the spindle to prevent theentrance of dust. This shell is taken off when the bolts 1% are removed.

It is evident that the number 01"- switches and of the operating weightsthere-tor may be changed as may be desired and that the speed of thegovernor necessary to cause the operation of such switches may beaccurately fixed by the nuts 18.

While we have described this governor as attached to a. pilot wheel of alocomotive, it is evident that it may be secured to any other rotatingpart of a self propelled vehicle adapted to receive it.

The details and proportions of the several parts of this governor mayall be changed by those skilled in the art and the application of thisgovernor to other electrical systems may be made without departing fromthe spirit of our invention as set forth in the following claims.

o claim 1. In a governor, the combination of a rotatable support, aweight radially slidable thereon, a spring to resist the outwardmovement ot the weight, stationary conductor rings adjacent the support,contacts carried by the support in engagement with the rings, a switchmounted on the support and controlled by the weight, and conductorsbetween the contacts and the switch.

2. In a governor, the combination of a rotatable support embodying asleeve, a weight radially slidable thereon, a spring to resist theoutward movement of the weight, stationary conductor rings and a supporttherefor extending into the sleeve, contacts carried by the sleeveinengagen'ient with said rings, a switch mounted on the rotatable supportand controlled by said weight, and conductors between the contacts andswitch.

3. In a governor, the combination of a vehicle wheel. a base-platesecured thereto, a sleeve attached to the base-plate co-axially wit-hthe wheel, a pin extending radially to the sleeve and attached thereto,a weight slidable thereon, a spring to resist the outward movement ofthe weight, a self-closing switch adapted to be opened by the weightwhen it moves outward, a. spindle extending into said sleeve, means toprevent the spindle from rotating with the sleeve, insulated ringsmounted onthe spindle, electric conductors connecting to the rings,contact members mounted in the sleeve and engaging said rings, andconductors extending from said contacts. to said switch.

4. In a governor, the combination of a vehicle wheel, a base-platesecured thereto, a sleeve attached to the base plate co-axially with thewheel, pins extending radially from the sleeve, a weight slidable oneach. pin, a spring to resist the outward movement of each weight, meansto adjust the tension. of the springs, means to limit the outwardmovement of the weights, a self-closing switch adjacent each weightadapted to be opened by said weight when moved outwardly by centrifugalforce, a spindle extending into said sleeve, bearing bushings within thesleeve to center the spindle, an arm attached to the outer end of thespindle, means connected to said arm to prevent rotation of the spindle,three electric conductor rings mounted on but insulated from the Vspindle, conductors extending through the arm and spindle to said rings,three contacts mounted in said sleeve, one in engagement with eachconductor ring, conductors connecting one of said contacts to eachswitch, and other conductors connecting the third contact to bothswitches.

5. In a governor, the combination of a vehicle wheel, weights mountedthereon adapted to be moved outward by centrifugal force, springs tomove the weights inward, a switch for each weight adapted to be openedthereby when moving outward, conductor rings adjacent said weights andmeans to prevent the rings from rotating, contacts rotatable with saidwheel and in contact with the rings, and conductors to carry cur- 5tatable body increases, and means to conduct current to the switches.

7. In a governor, the combination of a rotatable body and weightsmounted thereon. adapted to be moved outward by centrifugal force,switches adapted to be opened by said weights, means to so regulate themovement of the weights that the switches will be opened in sequence asthe speed of the rotatable body increases, and means to conduct currentto the switches comprising stationary conductor rings and contactscarried by said rotatable body in engagement with said rings.

8. In a governor, the combination of a rotatable body and weightsmounted thereon adapted to be moved outward by centrifugal force,switches adapted to be opened by said weights, means to so regulate themovement 01": the weights that the switches will be opened in sequenceas the speed of the rotatable body increases, means to conduct currentto the switches comprising stationary conductor rings and contactscarried by said rotatable body in engagement with said rings, and meansto limit the outward and inward movement of said weights.

9. In a governor, the combination of a rotatable casing, a weight andsupporting means within the casing to permit the weight to move towardand from the axis of the support, a spring to move the weight towardsaid axis, and an electric switch within the support adapted to beopened and closed by said weight.

10. In a governor, the combination of a rotatable casing, a weight andsupporting means within the casing to permit the weight to move towardandfrom the axis of the support, a spring to move the weight toward saidaxis, an electric switch within the support adapted to be opened andclosed by said weight, stationary conductors within the rotatablesupport, and means electrically connecting the conductors to saidswtich.

THOMAS E. CLARK. JAMES E. CLARK.

